The cover star for May is none other than Tracy Anderson who runs her own studios in Los Angeles, New York City and the Hamptons along with her own soon-to-be video streaming service called Real Time with Tracy. The way it will work is each week Tracy will create a workout and offer notes for you to practice before your next session to gradually build your body into a Tracy Anderson-created lean sexy machine. A new workout will go up every Wednesday and the projected cost will be $80 per month.

I will let that sink in for a minute.

If you are not familiar with Tracy she is one of Gwyneth Paltrow’s favorite trainers and people pay BIG bucks to take her classes in person. I own a few of her DVDs and let me tell you—her leg routines are KILLER!

Tracy is the mom to two kids (Sam, 16 and Penelope 2) and is trying to project good, healthy habits to her family. She hates spinning (the movements are too repetitive) and thinks juice cleanses are a big waste of time.

You can see some of her workout here:

So what else is inside the May Health?

“9 Trainers you’ll Love on Instagram”

Health picked the best of the best to follow for advice and inspiration on Instagram.

“Is Your Tech Style Hurting You?”

With most of us leaning forward to look at our computer screens and mobile phones it is causing pain in the neck, back and shoulder region or is otherwise known as “text neck” in some circles.

Here we get advice on how to better read our tablets, phones and laptops that while not a perfect solution—will help alleviate painful symptoms from arising.

And now the rest of the best of this issue of Health:

“Your Breasts: A User’s Manual” It is predicted that the diagnosis of breast cancer will rise 50% by the year 2030 so now is a good a time as any to get to know yours better!

“You Could Save a Life… Even Your Own” With the warmer & sunny weather coming along (finally!) it means more exposure of the skin to the sun which means an increase in the possibility of skin cancer. (Yikes—more cancer talk!) Look at this feature to get an idea on what kinds of moles are okay and which to be on the lookout for over the next few months. (Really—you should get a checkup every year.)

Former Disney Teen Queen Demi Lovato who is about the most accomplished 22-year old I have ever read about in my entire life. Demi is on the road right now with a hyper successful singing career, is the brand ambassador for Sketchers, and has her own skin care line called “Devonne” by Demi. Oh AND she has her own line of hair extensions called Secret Color. (Whew!)

A few years ago things were not looking too good for Demi. Hospitalized for bipolar disorder and bulimia the young star was struggling with mental illness and her self-image. Thankfully she is on something of a health kick with exercise and clean eating being a priority for maintaining her positive mindset.

In her interview with Fitness Demi talks about her favorite workout tunes, how she motivates herself to get a sweat session going wn hen her motivation is low plus her advice for other young women struggling with personal issues.

What Do We Learn This Month in Fitness?

“Hot Arms & Abs”

This quickie workout from Barry’s Bootcamp trainer Noah Neiman will help you strengthen and tone your bod in record time.

“Hot Stuff: The Goods We’re Obsessing Over Now ”

Fitness editors chose a whole page of the cutest fitness gear I can imagine. They all give me the “I wants!”

“Stroke Your Metabolism” The Rowing machine is the new “hip” cardio workout to hit the gym and this sample workout will help you burn up to 500 calories an hour.

“On the Road to Diabetes?” Diabetes has affected far more friends and family members than I can count so I really want to get the word out there on what people need to look out for to stay healthy. This article highlights that diabetes can hit healthy & fit people as well so be on the lookout for the symptoms and just ditch the cheap sugar habit, people!

Overall Grade:

A- A few really good workouts and smart health stories always make me happy and the January issue did just that!.

I can’t believe this year is finally heading out the window and could not be more grateful to see it go. Not sure what you all have been through in 2014 but I have dealt with health issues, family issues and all sorts of stressful things that have made me feel a little less buoyant than normal. However, I will not allow the past to interfere with my future pleasure so today I am just talking about the good stuff and getting ready for the fabulousness that will be 2015!

First I will do a little housekeeping on the latest BFC things, the Book Vs Movie podcast update, my fitness goals for 2015 and then my picks for the best workout songs of 2014. So let’s do it! (The Brooklyn Fit Chick Vlog to return next Sunday with a fantastic New Year’s/New You Giveaway!)

Book Vs Movie Podcast: Margo Porras of She’s Nacho Mama’s Blog and I are working our butts off to get our new website off the ground plus we are using a fancy podcast service called “Libsyn” to get it out to y’all without all of the drama of our previous service which shall not be named. To get ready start reading Joe Klein’sPrimary Colors which was turned into a movie in 1998 and directed by Mike Nichols whom we sadly lost this past year. Read the book and/or watch the movie to prep and we will post the details on our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/bookvsmovie?ref=br_tf

Tria Hair Removal System: Still using my fabulous Tria hair removal system and am so far impressed with the results. There is less hair growing around the back of my ankles and the side of my face which is making me very happy. I am also using it on my upper lip and underarms and will offer a full review in a week or so.

CrossFit Goal for 2015: As you may know I am a “Fit Bottomed Girl” who contributes to fitbottomedgirls.com. The gals at FBG asked me (BFC) if I had any fitness goals I want to accomplish and the first thing that popped in my mind was the box jump. I am terrified of performing a box jump but know that if I can overcome my fear—it will make me feel like a rock star to land a good one just once. Coincidentally a new CrossFit gym opening in Brooklyn (the largest n the borough) called Crow Hill Cross Fit (http://www.crowhillcrossfit.com/) and they said if I want a real trainer to teach me to box jump—then they have me covered. So THAT is going to my first fitness goal to tackle this year. (Stay tuned for updates on this!)

The Crow Pose: My second fitness goal is to perform a crow pose. I am not sure how I will manage it but it has been the one pose in yoga that vexes me and I just want do it once to know how great it feels. And then, hopefully, do it many times after that. I will let you know what steps I am taking to make this happen. (Wish me luck!)

And now for something completely different—the Brooklyn Fit Chick Top Workout Songs of 2014!

I have been churning out a couple of playlist each month for the last few years and think I have it down to science at this point. Today I am featuring the songs that made me want to work harder and inspired my students to give a little extra effort during class. So here they are in particular order:

KONGOS/ “Come With Me Now”

Technically I am cheating here because this song came out in Africa in 2011 but they were only introduced in the U.S. this past year so I am putting this in the 2014 column. “Come With Me Now’ has a fantastic hard-driving beat and always made people’s heads bop along to the music.

Mark Ronson (featuring Bruno Mars)/ “Uptown Funk”

Come on—what better song came out this year? Everything about it says move your butt and have some fun. A funky, modern masterpiece that makes you want to sing along and dance with abandon.

Avicii/ “Wake Me Up”

Swedish hotboy Avicii knows how to put together a tune and this one is just about scientifically proven to be THE MOST PERFECT warm-up number for any kind of class you teach. Seriously—I am his biggest fan now.

Dear Rouge/ “I Heard I Had”

This band is from Vancouver and they are winning all sorts of radio contest in Canada. “I Heard I Had” is about as great as a “second” song for a playlist as it gets. Download it now!

OneRepublic/ “Love Runs Out”

A foot-stomping favorite in my classes that always gets people into the best mood.

Taylor Swift/ “Shake It Off”

I don’t care about her dating life nor will I hassle her because she claims to be a New Yorker now (as if!) but damn this woman knows how to write a song that cooks! “Shake it Off’ is just about as perfect of a pop confection as it gets. Brava Taylor!

John Legend/ “All of Me” (Tiesto’s Birthday Treatment)

This is another perfect song for a warm-up that puts people in a good mood. Sweet, romantic and dancy—what is not to like about it?

And the worst workout song for 2014——-“Fancy” by Iggy Azalia

Someone told me Iggy Azalia would be THE big deal this past summer so I started including this dreadful song in my classes. A tuneless,annoying piece of tripe that make me want to gauge my eyes out with my thumbs. My take on Iggy Aazalia? NO. Thank. You!

But if you must hear it for yourself…

That’s all I have for today folks. I am so looking forward to all of the media reviews, playlist, Vlogs, giveaways and gear reviews for the new year. Let’s bring on 2015!!!

(If you are reading this on a different site or a different feed than Brooklyn Fit Chick, it has been taken without permission.)

Daphne Oz who is a co-host of The Chew and author of Relish and in this interview she talks about what is it like to try to bounce back after giving birth to her daughter Philomena in February.

Daphne is not interested in being celebrity magazine cover star that loses her baby weight in two weeks. She would rather eat right, breast feed her daughter and take a healthier approach to living life than worrying about “getting her old body back” thankyouverymuch.

In this issue we also get some of her favorite cooking tips and recipes as well.

What Do We Learn This Month in Fitness?

“Be a Speed Machine”

If you are planning to keep to treadmill workouts over the holidays you might want to take along this workout from David Silk of Equinox and plan to get a good sweat going.

“Fitness 2014 Gift Guide”

Fitness editors offer their top picks for holiday gift giving and I have my eye on that adorable pizza cutter from UnCommonGoods.

“Tone Your Trouble Zones”

Lately I have been reading all about this new gym called ModelFit and owner Justin Gelband and now I am curious enough to try his workout featured here which is a “super sculptor.”

“Express Workout: PiYo”

Do you PiYo? I have so many friends who love these DVDs which are a combo of yoga, Pilates, and body weight strengthening moves that I may have to try this workout as well!

And now the rest of this issue of Fitness:

“The New Nutrition Myths” Fitness talked to the “top nutrition pros” to talk about food fads such as high protein diets, the wonders of coconut oil and the perils of gluten.

“Get More Done!” This is me asking—can someone please come to my apartment and teach me how to GET MORE DONE? I sorely need the tips featured in this article.

Overall Grade:

A- There are some pretty great workouts featured here plus healthy recipes for holiday entertaining so go grab this issue.

Modern Family’sSofia Vergara is on the cover and is showing off her curvy body that she keeps in shape with the help of a MegaFormer machine which I wish I could afford to do more often. (Seriously—it is the toughest workout I have ever done.)

If you want to do your own makeshift version of the MergaFormer workout, grab a set of bands and try the exercises featured below.

What else is in this issue of Shape?

“Straight Talk”

This past year I have been on a self-improvement kick and have been actively working on getting my posture back in alignment. I really liked this feature on exercises to strengthen your back plus tips for proper form.

Just because summer is gone doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a game of tennis. If you are looking to try it out at an indoor court—this article will give you the basics to start. Plus—a complete of all of those tennis terms that I pretend to know when watching the U.S. Open (score!)

“Road Test: Clean Machines”

I love my beauty stories and am always in the market for a new sonic cleanser so this page gave me inspiration for my next trip to Sephora!

“Super Sculptors”

Included in the November issue is a workout using the Ugi Ball which is a “squishy” medicine ball and looks really fun.

“Refresh Your Workout”

I am in the “pro” camp when it comes to the Bosu balance trainer and I am digging this move to kick the “knee-though” move up a notch.

And now the rest of the best of this issue of Shape:

“Killer Calorie Burner” Personally know that I need to incorporate more pulling exercises than pushing ones to better my posture and the rower would fit the bill perfectly. Here we get a perfect workout to try on your own from trainer Annie Mulgrew of CityRow in NYC.

“Talk Turkey” The first time I had to carve up a Thanksgiving bird was kind of a disaster and I wish was able to use this useful guide on how to do just that from Chef Judy Joo on page 112 of this issue.

One of Howard Stern’s favorite guests is TV personality Maria Menounos who has a fun spirit and a seriously goofy laugh (I mean that in a good way.)

When Maria was in college she gained almost 40 pounds trying to out-eat most of her dude friends (dude friends are always dangerous, by the way) and now she keeps fit with a sane workout schedule and healthy eating habits.

As a trainer I can tell you that if there is one move we observe to check out the fitness level of a potential client—it’s the squat. I really loved this description on what to look for in a proper squat by Brent Brookbush, D.P.T.

“Shop for a Cause”

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month but you should be shopping for cute pink things all year round. This page features items that will support breast cancer charities.

“Transform Your Trouble Zones”

Shape asked trainer Lisa Kinder of the 10-Minute Solution: High Intensity Interval Training DVDs for her favorite muscle-toning moves. Love this page that focuses on abs…,

“2014 Beauty Awards: Star Power”

The best lotions, potions and fun hair care things to keep you looking gorgeous.

“Tool Time”

If you are like me—you need to foam roll constantly to help out the knots in your back and tight IT bands. Shape has the best products on the market to do just that.

“The Good Fight”

One of the best ways to get healthy and learn self-defense is to learn martial arts. Here we get “Martial Arts 101” and a “Lingo Lesson” from Guillermo Gomezcreator of the Martial Fusion workouts.

“Tune Up Your Yoga Routine”

Lashaun Dale of Equinox gyms teaches a yoga class called “Flow Play” which is a Vinyasa workout with a carefully selected playlist.

And now the rest of the best of this issue of Shape:

“Step Right Up” Incorporating stairs and bleachers can help ramp up your workout according to Paul Juris of the Cybex Research Institute.

Cover star Erin Stern has not competed in figure competitions in several years and is instead focusing on her own E3 brand (Empowering, Educating and Enriching) with ebooks, speaking gigs, fitness camps, and seminars. In this issue she shows off her best glute moves.

“Perfect Practice”

Oxygen gives a full page of “om-worthy” items to take to your next yoga session. (The Gaiam Thirsty Yoga Towel looks pretty nifty as a matter of fact!)

“Fat Loss Food of the Month:Apples”

A few weeks ago I read a very smug tweet where the trainer bragged about never eating apples and would rather have their clients “eat sugar cubes” instead. (Jerk!) I happen to love apples and this guide to the most common types on the market made me happy.

“Five Moves in Five Minutes”

If you have exactly five minutes for a core workout—check these out from fitness editor Lara McGlashan (CPT.)

“Crazy Fit Crazy Fast”

TRX Suspension training is a fantastic way to develop muscles and increase your movement. Just make sure to work with a qualified trainer, however to avoid injury!

And now the rest of this issue of Oxygen:

“Hybrid Yoga”Oxygen explores all different types of yoga classes now on the market inlcuing SUP yoga, Core Fusion, “Koga” and YogaHit to name a few.

The Fox Sports & Dancing With the Stars celeb has an enviable figure that she works pretty damn hard for thankyouverymuch and the healthy-lifestyle enthusiast allows Health readers to try her own favorite Physique 57 workout (here!) that you can do in 30 minutes time for overall strengthening.

So what else is inside the September Health?

“Perk Up Your Posture”

Yoga goddess Kristin McGee shows off a few poses that will give you stronger shoulder & back muscles while helping to fix your posture.

“Tracy Tones You”

This month the trainer that is Gwyneth “Goopy” Paltrow-approved offers a circuit workout she says you should do six times per week but I will give you permission to do it twice instead. (You’re welcome!)

“19 Tips for Runners”

Are you looking to get faster while you add the miles on the pavement? Follow these tips including exercise suggestions from Jordan Metzl, MD.

And now the rest of the best of this issue of Health:

“66 Brilliant Beauty Buys” The editors of Health pick their 2014 Health Beauty Award winners that will help you look even more gorgeous than you already are (how is that even possible?)

“Stream Your Way Slim” If you are looking for a streaming workout, Health gives the lowdown on the best online fitness classes.

“Surprising Migraine Cures that Work” I know plenty of folks who will find this information helpful.

Cover star Lori Harder talks about her online Bliss 6-Week training program in the August issue of Oxygen and the fact that she lives every single day with a clear intention of what she plans to do that day.

Lori, by the way, has awesome shoulders and shows some of her favorite moves to keep them looking amazing.

“Pumped-Up Planks”

I always say that planks are one of best exercises for your core but also one of the most boring. Take a gander here at a couple of suggestions to kick your next set up a notch.